The Basic Aerospace Doctrine of the United States Air Force specifies aerospace control as the key mission that is associated with the core competence of air and space superiority. This Doctrine requires that the Air Force gain and maintain dominance of space through its control thereof.
This mission can be divided into three categories: space surveillance, protection, and negation. Although defensive counterspace operations (DCS) and offensive counterspace operations (OCS) are the pillars of space dominance and superiority (SDS), Space Situation Awareness (SSA) serves as the base for their effective functioning.
Thus, the accomplishment of the space dominance and superiority mission relies on the combination of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), together with real-time communication and information processing technologies that are the major enablers of this mission. Therefore, progress in system development that provides better and more effective Space Situation Awareness enhances the capabilities in space dominance and superiority and is desirable.